Can you recommend frost dates for gardening?
Question:
I live in Belgrade. I’m trying to figure out what frost dates to use but every search seems to give me a different answer. It seems to be anywhere from 4/27-5/27 for Spring and 9/17-10/9 for Fall. Can you please recommend a date to use?
Answer:
Abi Griffith, Horticulture Community Education Assistant
Because we are dealing with weather, these dates will always be an estimation! But this website is a good one to check. You can plug your zip code in and get percentages based off of past data to get an estimated frost free date for your region. It gives you “guaranteed” dates and then shows you time frames where it’s “more likely” to be frost free. You should take a look, but Belgrade comes up as: average risk of frost is from September 17 through May 27. These would be a good starting point for you for dates, and as you garden more, and get to know your particular land and garden site, you’ll be able to make better predictions! Watch the weather during these estimated weeks, and be prepared to cover tender seedlings or late plantings if necessary.